


Not a Matter of Trust

by EvilStan



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avengers Tower, Domestic(ated) avengers, He's adopted so it's not incest, Implied/referenced childhood abuse, Intro to Thorki, Is this angsty? I think it might be angsty., Lemme say again how much of a jerk Odin is in here, Loki is confused, Loki is defensive, Loki learns to love, M/M, Magic, Mostly fluff but with plot kinda, Odin is a jerk, One small sex scene toward the end, Plot without much porn, Sexual Tension, Someone gets stabbed with a kitchen knife, This is actually halfway serious, This is kinda long, Thor Is Protective, Thor is shy, Thorki exploring Thorki feelings, You could also read it as an intro to Frostiron if you wanted
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-28
Updated: 2015-12-28
Packaged: 2018-05-10 00:01:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5560996
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EvilStan/pseuds/EvilStan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>{The warning is there because someone gets stabbed and there is a brief sex scene toward the end.}<br/>Thor finally figures out why Loki became such a villain, and his ever-present love for the God of Mischief compels him to rescue Loki- even if it means denying everything he ever had. Loki doesn't understand why Thor is doing this, but he has feels for Thor and I think I just got a cavity.<br/>CAN THOR TRUST LOKI?<br/>CAN LOKI TRUST ANYONE?<br/>CAN THE AVENGERS TRUST THORKI?<br/>DOES THOR EVER GET TO EAT THAT BAGEL?<br/>This is my first fic up here and I hope you enjoy! And please forgive my formatting sins-this is my first one and I'm still getting used to it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not a Matter of Trust

“I know you have considered him a brother, Thor, but he is not what I hoped he would be. I should have known. I knew what he was when I took him in. I should have foreseen.”  
Thor was silent as he strode down the dark hall with his father.  
“If anyone can handle him, it is you, my true son.” he said, clapping Thor on the back. “But be wary. Do not let any brotherly affection pollute your mind. He is not your brother. He is a Jotun, an animal-- and he is not to be trusted. Do what you must, my son.”  
Thor gave him a curt nod and quickened his pace to the cell, his jaw set. His father hung back.  
“Make me proud, Thor!”  
Thor tightened his grip on Mjolnir. He ignored the anger welling up in his throat and told the guards to let him in to see Loki.  
Odin was right. Loki did look like an animal, hurt, caged, and defenseless. Thor made sure the door was closed and no one could see before he crossed over to his brother. Loki looked up at him with hate and fear in his green eyes. He must truly be hurt, Thor thought. He usually held an emotionless, unreadable expression, masking his feelings. Now he was wild and afraid, and it broke Thor’s heart.  
“Loki, I have to speak to you. I just want you to listen.” Thor said softly. He set Mjolnir on the floor by the door. “After I finish saying what I need, I will take off that blasted mouth guard and you can have at me. But now, I need you to listen.” he said, kneeling beside him. Loki wouldn’t look him in the eye, and Thor didn’t blame him.  
“I was blind. As a child, our father’s love for me hid his hate for you. I didn’t understand. Even as we grew older I didn’t believe it. I didn’t believe anyone could hate you, our father least of all. I was under his spell, and I am so sorry.” he said, his eyes getting red. “I’m so, so sorry Loki. If I had known the torture he put you through, I would have stopped him. I would have protected you. I should have seen it. I was blind. I was a fool. And in my blind foolishness I was no brother. I hurt you.”  
Loki still didn’t look at him, but he was back to his blank expression. Thor wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not.  
“I want you to know that I will do anything to protect you. I finally see the error of my ways and I will pay for them. I will pay for our father’s sins.”

Loki looked slightly interested.  
“If it is revenge you want, take it out on me. If it is payment you want, take it from me.” Thor continued. “If it is worship you want, I will worship you every day.” he said gently, leaning down and kissing the toe of Loki’s boot. “Please, let me help you.”  
Loki’s expression was cold and masked, as usual. Thor sighed, mostly to keep himself from crying. Seeing Loki hurt like this was one of the few things that could bring the god of thunder to tears. “That is all I have to say.” he said, reaching for the mouth piece. He undid the lock and took it carefully from Loki’s face. Loki accidentally made eye contact, but looked away quickly and took a few deep breaths through his mouth. It was good to be free. He rubbed his chin on his tunic. It was scratched up badly from the inside of the guard. Thor let his thumb brush ever so lightly against Loki’s hurt face, but hastily withdrew his hand and looked away. Loki looked at him long and hard.

“He sent you here to kill me.”  
Thor didn’t struggle against his tears, but rather ignored them as they rolled slowly and silently down his face.  
“I will never hurt you, brother.” he said, meeting Loki’s eyes.  
“I am not your brother.” Loki said quickly. He said it simply, just stating a tired fact.  
“Not by blood.” Thro replied, eyeing Loki’s chin, “But my blood has betrayed me by hurting you. Odin is not my father.”

Loki paused, noting the seriousness in Thor’s eyes. Then Loki laughed. He looked at Thor with complete ridicule. But Thor’s face didn’t change. He was naked, Loki realized. Thor was naked, stripped of his titles and heritage, stripped of his pride and his ego. Here he was, completely honest. There wasn’t anything left, only his tears and his hurt for him. Loki’s smile slid off his face. 

“You really mean that?” he asked slowly.  
“Yes.” Thor said without hesitation.  
Loki couldn’t understand. Why would Thor be doing this? Was it some kind of plot? Some kind of trick? He didn’t think Thor had that in him, and looking in his eyes, he was sure he didn’t. He really was telling the truth. Loki was confused.  
“I don’t understand.” he said, furrowing his brow and becoming defensive again, just in case.  
Thor looked sadly on his brother. All this time he thought Loki had known love. He thought his father and mother had loved Loki as much as they had loved him. But now he saw the truth. This was the first time Loki saw someone trying to love him, and he couldn’t understand. He put his hand gently on the trickster god’s.  
“I love you, Loki. Take that as you will.”  
Loki eyed Thor suspiciously. But something far in the back of his mind lit up. He should have seen it before. He was too busy hurting over his parents to realize that Thor had always cared for him, in his way. Loki had kept quiet about the abuse he received from their father, and Thor never guessed, but he was always trying to help Loki. Of course, Loki grew defensive and resentful for this ‘help’, convinced that Thor had always seen him as lesser. Why else would he have wanted to help him, but for a show of his own strength? But now he looked into Thor’s eyes, searching for answers. Could it really be that Thor cared for him?  
“I’m not your brother.” he whispered, wishing for the first time in a very long time that he was. He felt a lump of tears forming in the back of his throat.  
“I don’t care.” Thor said. “It doesn’t matter to me. I love you no matter who you are.”  
“What of Odin? You would deny him, for me? Deny the throne, deny your birthright, your race, deny all of Asgard?”  
“Speak not to me of Odin. He is no father to me. As for the rest,” Thor said, “they do not matter. The kingdom was fine without me. It shall continue to be. I am not theirs to command.” He smiled sadly at Loki. “I am yours.”  
Loki thought about it. He was so used to controlling himself. He was so used to hiding his pain and hiding his triumph, to masking his feelings. He knew that his hate for Thor was his twisted way of hating Odin. Thor looked so much like his father, and was so loved by his father, when he was so despised. But Thor had always been kind to him. It was Thor who had taught him to sneak into the kitchens at night and steal cakes, not knowing why Loki ate them so hungrily. It was Thor who bandaged his hurts from when he ‘fell’ before he learned to use his frosty magic to heal himself.  
“If you loved me then why did you push away from me when I needed you most?” Loki asked angrily, recalling Thor’s coronation and his loud friends drinking and making merry as Loki hid in the shadows, hurt, hiding from Odin and his wife who would make him grovel before Thor, before them.  
“I am so sorry, Loki. I didn’t understand. I thought you had hated me. I didn’t understand. You were retreating into the darkness. I tried to bring you back, but you lashed out whenever I reached for your hand. After a time, I stopped trying. I never should have stopped. I should have seen it as it was. I should have seen Odin hurting you.” he said, the silent tears running faster down his face.  
Loki was quiet. He had pushed Thor away. He had hated him for what his father had done to him. He was rebelling against anything he could reach, and Thor was the first hit.  
“I’m sorry.” Loki heard himself say.  
“Don’t be. It was my fault.” Thor said quickly, resting his hand on Loki’s shoulder.  
“Do you truly…do you truly care for me?” Loki asked, avoiding Thor’s eyes again.  
“More than I ever had for anyone in all of my life.” Thor said.  
Loki looked into his eyes.  
“Kiss me.”  
“What?”  
“Kiss me, Thor. I want to know.” 

Thor leaned in and kissed him. It was not the gropey, face-crushing, tongue-jamming kind of kiss Loki expected from Thor. It was small, and soft, and gentle. It was tender and affectionate. Shy, even. Loki had always taken Thor for a brute. This was a whole new side of him that he had never seen- or perhaps, never let himself see.  
Thor pulled away slightly and smiled at Loki.  
“So, god of trickery,” he said softly, “How are we going to get you out of here?” 

 

The guards stepped aside and let Thor through. Mjolnir was tight in his hand but heavy, as it always was if he did something terrible for his kingdom. Little did they know, had he really done what they thought, he would not have been able to carry it. His hands and face and hammer were bloody and his steps heavy. He glowered at the guard and walked down the corridor. Odin was there, smiling, but Thor pushed past him, thunder rumbling in the distance.  
“Son!” Odin cried after him. Thor did not reply.  
The guards took the lifeless body of the trickster god to the Bridge after Odin himself confirmed his death. They would set it sailing towards Jotunheimr, where Odin planned on negotiating peace the morning after. Loki had been a thorn in the side of both races, forging his path between the two. Thor watched from the shadows of the Archway, hidden from the Odin’s men. He stayed there watching the boat float away long after the company had left. He felt Heimdall watching him.  
“Loki,” Thor said softly. A sickly green-eyed mouse crawled from the corner of Mjolnir that was under his cape. Thor watched as the duplicate in the boat flickered away and the mouse took his true form.  
Loki stumbled and Thor caught him. It was a bad idea. Since Loki had been stripped of his powers, he had to transfer power from Mjolnir to Loki in order for him to create a duplicate and transform. Loki struggled to sustain even a dead duplicate. But one could not live without the other. Usually if a duplicate was about to die, Loki would retract it. This time he had to let it happen. He would not have been able to if Thor had not used Mjolnir’s powers to sustain him. It was dangerous. Loki looked paler than ever.  
“Keep your hand on her.” Thor said gently, holding Loki’s hand on Mjolnir. “I will sustain the lightening. We can stay here for a few moments, but then we must go.” Loki nodded. He felt himself growing stronger, slowly. It was strange being so close to Thor. Loki was used to wrestling with him as children, and even fighting more recently. He was used to Thor holding him down and trying to contain him. This was different. This was…friendly. His large arm was wrapped around Loki’s shoulders, holding him up, his hand covering Loki’s entirely. Loki rested his head weakly on Thor’s shoulder. He could hear his heartbeat.  
Loki wasn’t sure he liked it. He was changing. Thawing. He was forgiving Thor. He didn’t want to. But…Thor could have killed him. Thor should have killed him. And yet he didn’t. At first, Loki thought it was just because Thor was an idiot. But Loki hadn’t had to use any magic at all. Thor rescued him without his saying a word. As far as Loki could tell, Thor really did love him. And despite his feelings, Loki trusted him.  
He was tired from prison, from being stripped of his powers. That was all. He would let Thor rescue him, take him to Midgard, protect him until he was strong again. Then when he was ready, Loki would be back.  
Of all the reckless acts Thor had done, this was the most reckless and the most dangerous. Loki could turn and kill him. He could take over Asgard, Midgard, realm after realm. Thor didn’t care anymore. He wasn’t going to let them kill Loki. Sometimes, in being too cautious, you created your own enemies. Perhaps Loki needed a lover instead of a captor. At least, that’s how Thor’s head made sense of what his heart was leading him to do. Besides, Odin made Loki this way. Thor would heal him if it cost his life.  
“We must leave now.” Thor said, gently taking Loki’s arm. He still held his hand over Loki’s on Mjolnir, still sustaining the lightening. “Are you ready?” he asked. Loki nodded. He was still weak, so Thor supported him as they crossed the bridge to the Gatehouse. Thor did not fear the eye of Heimdall. The omniscient god would have seen Thor help Loki escape back in the cell anyway. However, Heimdall also saw the crimes of Odin. Thor trusted he would see his reasoning as well.  
“Great Heimdall!” Thor announced, reaching the gatehouse.  
“Mighty Thor.” Heimdall replied, “Great Loki.” he said. “You seek to leave Asgard.” he observed.  
“Please, Heimdall, I beg safe passage to Midgard, where I might contemplate the crime of slaying my brother Loki, which I have done this day to protect this and all other realms, by order of Odin.”  
The huge god of passage looked on at the two young lords of Asgard. Finally, he smiled. Thor smiled in relief. Loki felt weak and gripped Thor’s armor. The god of thunder held him tighter.  
“You know the rules, Thor.” Heimdall said, leaving out the ‘Odinson’ for the first time.  
“If Odin asks outright, I must be truthful.”  
“I understand.” said Thor.  
“Then good luck. You have my blessing.” Heimdall said, smiling upon both of them and opening the gate to Midgard. 

 

Loki had never felt so weak in his life. He hated it. But he couldn’t fight it. Thor scooped him up in his arms and carried him.  
“Fear not, dear Loki.” he said softly as he strode through Midgard’s dust. “I know you are stronger than this. We all must be carried from time to time.” Loki fell unconscious. Thor was worried. He quickened his pace, holding Loki tightly, and made his way through the field towards Jane’s house.  
He banged on the door. 

“Jane! It is I, Thor! Please, I need help!” he said.  
Jane opened the door hurriedly and nearly screamed when she saw Loki.  
“Fear not, he isn’t dead!” Thor said, although that was the last of Jane’s fears.  
“Is he dangerous?” she asked as Thor pushed into the house.  
“He is hurt.” Thor replied, laying him down on the spare bed he had spent so many nights in before the Avengers took him in. Jane crossed her arms, watching. Her distrust for Loki was equaled only in her trust for Thor.  
“He’s not going to destroy my house, is he?”  
“I do not think so.” Thor said. Jane looked at him. “If he does I shall repair it.” he added quickly. He sat on the edge of the bed, held Mjolnir in his lap and placed Loki’s hand on it. With his other hand he pulled the covers over Loki’s body. He gently brushed the long dark hair out of his face. He let his hand rest on the side of his neck to feel his pulse. He was alive. “The lightening from Mjolnir will heal him.” Thor said. He felt Jane’s gaze and met her eyes.  
“I am sorry to come unannounced. I am forever indebted to you for the kindness you have shown me. I know this is a lot to ask- and I wouldn’t ask it of you had I any other choice.” Thor said. Before he knew it, Jane was by his side and he was explaining everything.  
“Odin ordered me to kill him.” he said, his hand gripping Loki’s tightly. “I love him, Jane.”  
Jane looked at him hard. She saw no trace of Loki’s spell on him. Thor saw her looking.  
“I have loved him since we were very young. Since man was first coaxing fire to keep out the dark. I have loved him for tens of thousands upon tens of thousands of years. I didn’t always understand it, but I always loved him. I never knew he was so hated by Odin. I never thought anyone could hate such a beautiful man as Loki. He hurt him, Jane. All his life, Odin tortured him. He was beaten and humiliated and hurt. I never saw it. And when he pushed away from me, I had the audacity to think it was something I did.” Thor finished, tears running down his face. He didn’t take his hand off Loki’s to wipe them from his face. They just sat there on his face and clung to his beard.  
Jane let them stay. She brought food and drink for them and returned to find them both asleep, Thor hunched over Mjolnir, still holding Loki’s hand on it, still sustaining the lightening.  
How is he doing that? She wondered. She knew he could summon lightening awake, but to do it sleeping must have taken some hard bargaining- and this was a different kind of lightening entirely. It had a faint red glow and pulsed into Loki’s hand like a heartbeat. She crept closer to the pair and crouched down to look at Mjolnir. A thick trail of blood ran through the carved letters and in the grooves of the knotwork around the great hammer. It wasn’t Loki’s blood, as the guards back in the cell had thought. She gingerly lifted a finger of Thor’s hand and gasped. Thor woke with a start.  
“Jane-!” he said, but his attention was still on Loki. He adjusted the blankets and checked his breathing. “Is everything okay?” he asked her softly, so as not to wake Loki.  
“No.” she said, “Give me your hand.”  
Thor hesitated.  
“Mjolnir needs it. Loki needs it.” he said.  
“Loki is fine. You need to get that bandaged.”  
“If I cut off the supply of blood to Mjolnir, she will not be able to sustain his life. I explained it to you. It is how I was able to keep him alive while his duplicate was dead. It gave him the strength to use his magic, and he now needs the strength to heal himself.”  
“That was hours and hours ago, Thor, and you failed to mention some weird blood sacrifice. Look at yourself.” she said desperately, gesturing to a mirror. Loki stirred.  
“Shh…Jane, I’m fine. Please, don’t wake him. He needs sleep to get better. He must get better. He was so frail from prison…being stripped of his powers…I’d never seen him so weak as he was today…”  
Jane looked from the sleeping Loki to Thor. Loki looked as healthy as he ever had, even a touch of color in his cheeks and his breathing steady. Thor was pale and sounded delirious.  
“Thor, you are not well. How are you going to take care of him if you are about to collapse?”  
“I am not about to collapse. It is a mere cut, Jane. I have fought for days in battle with far deadlier wounds.”  
“Thor-” she said loudly. Thor pressed his finger against her lips, but Loki woke.  
“What’s wrong?” he asked weakly.  
“Loki!” Thor said affectionately. “We are on Midgard. This is Jane- she allowed us refuge until we are able to find somewhere else. You were hurt. Are you alright?” he asked.  
“I-” he started, but stopped immediately when he felt the blood on his hand.  
“Thor, the spell was over hours ago. Whose blood is this?”  
“His.” Jane said bluntly, “Big stupid his.” She left the room to go get some bandages.  
Loki searched Thor’s eyes.  
“I was worried- you seemed so hurt since the prison- you passed out after we arrived-“  
Loki held up his hand and took Thor’s injured one. He traced a slender finger around the wound Thor had made hastily in the cell. Thor’s devotion to him was making him feel things he never felt before. He was…thankful. He felt inclined to return the favors. He felt as though he could trust him. He felt as though…  
“Hold still.” he said very softly. He closed his eyes.  
“Loki-“  
“Sh.”  
A faint blue glow grew from Loki’s palm. It pained him- he had not had any of his own magic for a very long time, and he was still struggling for every ounce of it, but he wouldn’t let Thor protest. A cold, icy pain sung through Thor’s wound, and it was healed. Loki laid back and breathed hard. A simple healing spell didn’t usually take that much effort, but it was more than he’d been able to do that morning. He had barely been able to channel Mjolnir’s power to sustain a duplicate for as long as he did, even if it was a dead one. Suddenly, Thor was on his face.  
He wasn’t kissing him, or touching him, or anything, he was simply holding Loki’s head gently in his hands, his forehead touching the trickster god’s.  
“I am glad you are healing.” Thor whispered.  
Loki smiled a tiny bit. It was the first time he had used a healing spell on Thor since they were children.  
“We won’t be needing those, Miss Jane.” Loki said. Thor looked up to see Jane standing in the doorway with a handful of bandages. He blushed.  
“I’ll look at it, thank you.” she said, not meeting Loki’s eyes. She still didn’t trust him. She took Thor’s hand from his face and examined it. There was a little bit of blood left from the wound, which she wiped off. Loki suddenly wanted to be the one cleaning it off. He had no idea where that feeling came from, but he pushed it down as far as he could. He scowled at Jane as she took care of Thor, gently wiping the blood away. Mjolnir was clean, to her surprise, having used up all the blood Thor gave her. Loki still had his hand resting on her, with Thor’s blood on it. Jane avoided it.  
“Thank you, Jane.” Thor said. Jane smiled wryly at him.  
“Sure.” she said. “If you two want anything to eat, I’ve got food in the kitchen. There’s coffee too. Thor, you know how to use the machines, right?”  
“I recall.”  
“Good. I’m going out. I’ll see you later.”  
“Thank you.” Thor said again, not sure why she was angry as she left the room with the bloody towel.  
They sat in silence as they heard her leave the house and start her car. They listened to the car drive off.  
“Finally.” Loki said, closing his eyes.  
“She is a friend, Loki.” Thor said, wiping the blood gently from Loki’s hand. “Without her we would be lost, and you would be in much worse condition. The desert gets very cold at night.” he said, looking out the dark window. Loki nodded. He was still angry at her for cleaning Thor’s hand, but he didn’t know why, and he wasn’t about to share the feeling with Thor. Besides, now Thor was wiping the blood off his fingers, and it was distracting him. Thor’s hands were rough, but his touch was gentle. Loki pretended to ignore it.  
“I just don’t trust her. She looks at me like I’m an animal.”  
“She doesn’t know you yet. She remembers too vividly what you did last time you were in Midgard. She doesn’t understand. I will explain to her on the morrow.”  
“Don’t waste your breath. She won’t believe you.”  
“I will make her believe me.” Thor said angrily, licking his thumb and gently rubbing the blood off Loki’s pinky. “And if she doesn’t, we will find somewhere else. Somewhere with people who trust us. Who trust you.”  
“Do you trust me?” Loki asked.  
“It doesn’t matter. I love you. It is not a question of trust.” Thor said, looking pointedly at Loki’s slender hand to avoid his eyes. The blood was gone now, though. He withdrew his large hands from Loki’s.  
“But do you trust me?” Loki repeated.  
“With my life.” Thor replied. Loki nodded. “You should sleep.” Thor said, brushing Loki’s hair off his sweaty forehead. “I will keep watch.” He pulled up a chair near the bed and grabbed another blanket, draping it over Loki. He sat down in the chair and placed Mjolnir across his lap.  
“Are you protecting me from the world or the world from me?” Loki asked, smiling as Thor sat there like another prison guard.  
“Odin could have followed us.” Thor said. “I am guarding you from him.”  
“And if I decide to take over the world?”  
“Go ahead.” Thor said. There was silence. Loki wasn’t sure how to take Thor’s invitation. He wasn’t sure how to interpret his trust. But he felt a peace he had never felt before as Thor sat there. Loki was soon asleep. 

He woke to the sun on his face. Thor was asleep in the chair, one hand resting on the bed near where Loki’s hand had been and the other on the handle of Mjolnir. His head was back and his face in the sun, his golden hair a mess. Loki crept out of the bed and into the kitchen. There was a brown paper bag of bagels, a coffee machine, cereal, and donuts on the counter. Not food of the gods, but it would have to do. He searched the cabinets quietly for a bowl and made himself some cereal. He sat down at the table and thought long and hard as he ate it. Thunder rumbled in the distance.  
“LOKI!” Thor cried with a frightened voice, running through the house, Mjolnir raised. He stumbled into the kitchen to see Loki fine, eating cereal contemplatively.  
“Fear not, brother. I haven’t killed anyone.” he said. Thor breathed hard.  
“Odin could have taken you. I should not have fallen asleep.” he said, angry at himself.  
“Is that really your biggest worry?” Loki asked, tracing tiny snowflakes on the table. Frost followed his finger. He was growing stronger.  
“It is.” Thor said, checking the house. Odin could have spies. “Jane has still not returned.” he said. “Odin’s men could have captured her. They could be on their way as we speak.” he worried.  
“Or, you know, I turned her into a bowl of cereal.” Loki said, toying with it. Thor didn’t seem to believe him.  
“Is it because I am weak?” Loki asked. “Is that it? You can show how much stronger you are by ‘protecting’ your weak little pet?”  
“No.” Thor said simply.  
“As soon as I am strong enough I will turn against you.”  
“Fine.”  
“I will rule this world, and any others I can reach. My empire will grow with every day.”  
“Good.”  
Loki looked at Thor. He sat down at the table, Mjolnir at his feet, and was running his hands over his forehead.  
“You think me weak.”  
“Loki-“  
“You would never be doing this were I-” Thor grabbed his wrist.  
“Loki you are the most powerful person I know, with or without your magic.” he said angrily. “I do not think you weak. I never thought you weak. I worked all my life to be strong as you were. All the work it took me, you were there effortlessly. You are a thousand times stronger than I.”  
“Then why are you ‘protecting’ me?”  
“Because I owe you for what the man who sired me did to you.” he said slowly.  
Loki twitched his hand out of Thor’s grasp and ate his cereal. Thor rose and started the coffee. He took a bagel from the bag and a large knife from a drawer. He sliced it and put it in the toaster. Loki put his bowl in the sink and stood watching Thor.  
“Why do you feel you must pay for Odin’s sins?” he asked. Thor sighed.  
“Because I love you.” he said exasperatedly.  
“I could kill you.”  
Thor was growing angry. He couldn’t make Loki understand.  
“Then kill me.” he said forcefully, shoving the knife into Loki’s hand and pointing it at his own heart.  
“Do it.” he commanded. Loki frowned.  
“Do you think I couldn’t?” he asked angrily.  
“If you can, then do it!” Thor roared, pulling the knife closer. It poked through his shirt and made a dent in his skin.  
“Kill me!”  
Loki was crying and so was Thor.  
“I-“  
“Do it!” Thor yelled.  
The house shook as Tony Stark burst through the wall right behind Loki. He crashed into Loki and the knife went into Thor’s chest.  
“NO!” Loki cried. He shoved away Iron Man, who crashed into a cabinet, and scrambled to the bleeding god of thunder.  
“Thor!” he said, cradling his head.  
“Loki…” Thor mouthed weakly.  
Loki pulled together all of the magic he had in him. He placed his hand over Thor’s chest and poured it all into the wound. Thor cried out in the pain of the icy magic, and Loki collapsed. Tony had freed himself and was headed toward Loki, but Thor sprang up and held him back, Mjolnir flying to his hand.  
“No! Tony! Stop!” he boomed, raising Mjolnir defensively.  
“He just stuck a knife in your chest!” Tony yelled.  
“Because you crashed into him! He healed me! And behold the cost!” Thor roared. He pushed Tony down with all his strength and turned to Loki. He was alive, but very weak. Thor took his hand and placed it on Mjolnir, summoning lightening. Jane was in the doorway and the other Avengers were crowding around the house.  
“What have you done, Jane?” Thor cried, the house filling with lightning. “I told you to trust him! Avengers! If you have any trust for me, trust Loki!” he yelled. The team slowly backed down. Bruce, still in human form, rushed to Loki’s side, checking his pulse and lifting his head.  
“Thank you.” Thor said.  
Steve told the other Avengers to return to the tower. “I’ll call you if we need you. Bruce and I can take care of it.” he said quietly. The team left reluctantly, and he went to Thor.  
“Don’t worry, Thor. We’ll get him better.” he said.  
“If the Avengers don’t kill him first.” Thor said angrily, before thinking.  
“I won’t let them.” said Steve. “They trusted Bucky, eventually. They will trust Loki. If you are right.”  
“I am.” Thor said, tears still running down his face. 

 

They brought Loki to the tower. Thor had a floor to himself, and The Cap figured it was the safest place for Loki in case Odin came searching for him. Also, he thought to himself, in case Thor was wrong. If Thor wanted to risk his life for Loki, he completely understood. He had risked his life for Bucky. But Steve couldn’t risk the world. Not until he was sure Loki didn’t have Thor under some kind of spell. He felt bad for not trusting Loki as much as he felt he should. After all, he had fought long and hard to get the team to trust Bucky. But Bucky had been brainwashed. He didn’t mean to commit the crimes he had. Loki was different.  
Loki woke in a new bed. Thor was beside him, awake this time, holding his hand over Mjolnir. His other hand was bandaged from where he had fed her blood to sustain Loki.  
“Thor…are you okay?” Loki heard himself ask. What was this? Why did he care so much?  
“I’m fine, thanks to you, dear Loki. Are you well?”  
Loki nodded, sitting up.  
“Bruce looked at you through Stark’s machinery.” he said. He put a hand on Loki’s shoulder when he saw his fearful expression. Loki still had vivid memories of what Bruce could do to him, and he didn’t trust Stark.  
“It’s okay. They used the same ones on me when I first came to them. I oversaw everything. Bruce said you will be fine after a few days’ rest. He said your magic would return before the week is over.” he finished.  
Loki smiled a little. He felt the absence of his magic. It was like being back in the cell again. But he felt himself growing stronger with his hand on Mjolnir.  
“No more blood.” he said. Thor had been about to hurt himself again. “I’m fine. I just need time. I can heal myself.” he said.  
Thor nodded and put the knife down. Loki frowned at the thing. It was the same one that had gone into Thor’s chest.  
“Let me see. Did it heal well?” he asked. Thor pulled down the neck of his shirt. There was a faint blue scar over his heart.  
“Very well.” he said.  
“Hm. Usually it doesn’t leave scars.” said Loki unsatisfactorily. “It wouldn’t have were I at full strength.”  
“Loki, you saved my life. I’m not concerned about a little scar.” he said smiling. The smile faded quickly, though. “I shouldn’t have put you in that position. I shouldn’t have lashed out like that.” he apologized.  
“It’s okay.” Loki said. “I…trust you.”  
“And I you.”  
Loki then did something strange. He leaned forward and kissed him. He had always thought of Thor as the brutish one. The rash one. But Loki kissed him hungrily as ever and pulled Thor closer and closer. They had to stop soon, because Loki started crying. Thor crawled into the bed and held him close. Loki was surprised how comforting it was to be held by Thor, and they sat there for a very long time, just holding each other, Loki sobbing softly.  
Jane stopped by later on to apologize for bringing the Avengers. Thor said the apology was unnecessary and that he understood she was just trying to help. He took a pouch of gold from his belt.  
“This should pay for your house.” he said, offering it. “You are more than welcome to stay here until it is repaired.” Jane smiled.  
“You don’t have to-“  
“No, Jane. It’s okay. I owe you.” he said earnestly. Loki actually gave her a smile. As soon as she was gone Loki pulled Thor’s arms around him again. He toyed with his blonde hair. Thor lightly kissed his healing chin.  
“I will turn on you one day.” he said, although even he was not as sure about it as he was before.  
“As you wish, my love.” Thor replied, kissing down his neck gently. Loki smiled.

 

Days went by, and Loki felt his power growing slowly. But he wasn’t concerned. It would come back to him. He was distracted. He had never felt anything like this before. He had never felt safe, or so loved. Thor seemed shy about it, as if afraid of scaring Loki away, but Loki ran in head first. He realized how much he liked contact- any kind of contact. He would hold Thor’s hand or rest his head on his shoulder. Thor smiled. It was as if all of the affection Loki had been denied for thousands of years had piled up. Now that he finally had it, he took it with a ravenous hunger. He didn’t seem to be too focused on taking over the world at all. All he seemed focused on was holding on to Thor.  
Thor was surprised at Loki’s attachment, but he welcomed it. It was wonderful to be able to show Loki how much he cared, finally, though he was cautious of taking it too fast. He ran his hand through Loki’s dark hair affectionately. He was forming drops of ice from the condensation of a glass on the table. Thor smiled, glad that Loki was growing stronger again.  
Loki was surprised by Thor’s gentleness. He hated to admit it to himself, but he had always been afraid that if he made known his feelings toward Thor (yes, he did have feelings for him long ago, that he had pushed down and locked away as far as he could) the great god of thunder would take advantage of him. But it wasn’t so. Thor always waited for Loki to make the first move and he never pressured him. He always approached him slowly and gently, reading Loki’s every sign.  
As for Loki, he surprised Thor with his hunger. He would come up to him and wrap his arms around him, kissing him passionately. He would pull Thor closer and let him kiss all over his neck. He liked that. Sometimes he would simply demand Thor to kiss him- and every time Thor happily obliged. He was unable to sleep unless Thor was lying next to him, and Thor often woke to his kisses. Over time, however, kisses weren’t enough for Loki. One night he rolled on top of Thor and waking him, kissing him hungrily, grinding himself on Thor with an urgent lust.  
“Loki…” Thor said nervously. He was worried Loki was taking it too fast again. More immediately, though, he was worried he himself would start taking it too fast. He had been dreaming about Loki, and waking up to him, the friction of Loki humping him through their clothes and Loki’s teeth on his neck was too much. He gasped as he felt himself come in his pants. He shook all over, but Loki was still going hard. Thor rolled over and took it slower, looming over him and giving loving kisses down his body, but Loki wanted more. He helped Thor pull off his clothes and Thor pulled him off the bed, kneeling in front of him, kissing him with open-mouthed, wet, sloppy kisses through his underwear.  
“More” Loki groaned, pulling down the pants impatiently.  
Thor smiled up at Loki before taking him into his mouth. His lips ran up and down Loki’s shaft as his tongue played with the rest, his too-warm hands cradling him. He felt Loki’s hands push themselves through his hair and hold his head tightly. Loki moaned and began pushing his hips against Thor’s mouth as he sucked, setting a rhythm to fuck his face. Loki went faster and faster, and Thor wasn’t sure he could keep up, until finally Loki pulled out with a sharp gasp and sprayed all over Thor’s face. Loki tackled Thor with kisses, smearing his cum all over Thor’s face with his mouth. Thor felt him shaking in his arms and held him tight as they lay on the rug near the bed.  
“Shh…Loki….Shh…” he said soothingly, trying to calm him down. “It’s okay. My lord, my love, my light, my god…it’s okay…” he whispered. He thought Loki was going to cry again, but instead he kept kissing him, shaking harder than ever.  
“Don’t leave me Thor” he said between kisses. He sounded terrified.  
“Never. Nothing in the universe could make me leave you. I’m here, forever. I’m yours.” Thor said, running his hands over Loki’s cold back.  
“Hold me. Tighter.” Loki said. Thor did. He pulled the quilt from the bed and wrapped himself and Loki in it tightly, pulling Loki against his bare chest as close as he could. Loki was shivering.  
“Shh…it’s okay…it’s okay my love…” he continued, stroking Loki’s hair.  
Loki clung to Thor’s warm body as if it was keeping him alive. He never wanted to leave. He wanted to spend the rest of his life in Thor’s arms. He felt himself calming down slowly, breathing in the warm smell of Thor. He soon drifted off to sleep in Thor’s arms, Thor still smoothing his hair and whispering to him.  
It was better after that night. Loki was calmer and much happier, and Thor wasn’t so shy. Loki had been worried how Thor would act afterwards, and felt like he should be embarrassed, but Thor was just as loving and kind. Loki still didn’t believe it.  
After a month of laying low and not hearing anything from Odin nor seeing any sign that he followed them- or even found out where they were- they started going out on dates. The Avengers slowly started to trust Loki, at least enough to hang out with him. Loki soon grew fond of their company. He and Jane would often talk, staying up until small hours laughing over coffee. Despite their initial differences, the two became fast friends. When not teasing or laughing about Thor, they discussed science and Jotun magic, a passion shared by both of them. Loki warmed up to Natasha and Bucky fastest after Jane. They had similar pasts, and understood him in a way the others didn’t. Bucky’s trust led to Steve’s, and Clint, Sam, and Bruce followed soon after. Tony was the hardest. He seemed to have a general dislike for Loki. Loki was pretty sure there was something hidden deep beneath the dislike, but he wasn’t sure what it was. Pepper trusted him pretty quickly, and she helped mediate between the two. Loki surprised himself with the affection he soon had for the group. None of them had the same love for him Thor did, but they became a sort of family- the good kind that Loki had never really had.  
The team saw a huge difference in Thor. He would wander around singing Asgardian love songs merrily under his breath, he would cook dinner for the whole team, and he always had a bouquet of flowers for Loki. Earth had never seen him this happy. The two were inseparable. Loki was usually flirting with Thor and sometimes the oblivious god of thunder picked up on it. When he did, there was almost no stopping the two from devouring each other.  
Loki was afraid he would start scheming again, and that he would feel the need to conquer again. Not that he didn’t want to conquer, but he was enjoying Thor and his new family far too much right now to upset it. He surprised himself, though, and seemed to quickly loose interest in taking over realm after realm. But it would return someday, he was sure. 

Of course, he was the god of mischief, and he would never lose interest in that. Perhaps he would start with Tony.


End file.
